Fact: The people you surround yourself with have a significant impact on your growth as an entrepreneur.
Starting a business requires a substantial amount of time and dedication. As you lean into your role as a business owner, you may become more cognizant of how and who you’re spending your time with.
And yet, many new business owners hold onto relationships that no longer serve them for the sake of comfort and familiarity. They may assume that staying in touch with old friends and colleagues exhibits kindness and loyalty to those around them. Little do they know, holding onto these relationships may stifle the momentum that you need to grow a business.
In this article, we discuss six types of people in your life that may be hindering your growth as a business owner.
1. The compulsive complainer.
People who habitually gossip or complain have one thing in common: they are wholly disinterested in finding solutions. When faced with a conflict, they choose to evade by seeking validation from people who do not have a direct impact on the outcome or situation. They choose to prove dominance by gossiping and trying to control the narrative. Spending time with compulsive complainers is not only draining and unproductive, but it also magnifies minor issues that you may have in your own life. Running a business is all about problem-solving – not creating new ones.
2. The advice giver.
Starting a business can be a little like having your first child: people suddenly come out of the woodwork to offer you “advice”. While collecting knowledge and inspiration from those around you is an essential part of running a business, people who have your best interests at heart will only offer advice when requested. Those who are quick to climb on their soap box usually do so to showcase their knowledge or prove their dominance in the relationship. Instead, surround yourself with people who will take the time to listen and are quick to offer help – not unsolicited advice.
3. The overly dependent.
This is a common problem amongst romantic relationships. While dedication and commitment are cornerstones of every healthy relationship, overly dependent partners tend to have very little hobbies or interests other than their partner. Inevitably, they grow resentful whenever that partner finds happiness outside of the relationship. As you may have guessed, this is painfully incompatible with the day-to-day life of an entrepreneur, who encounters new people and ideas on a regular basis.
4. The armchair critic.
Armchair critics are people who offer criticism on subjects of which they have little practical knowledge or experience – trolls, so to speak. Typically, these people are quick to pass judgement on others’ behaviors and are far more interested in enforcing their own opinions rather than understanding the situation. People who exhibit this type of behavior lack the humility it takes to be a true friend or ally. Long-term interactions with armchair critics can lead to minimizing your own dreams and ideas to placate their narrow perception of the world.
5. The wrong type of “millionaire”.
The adage “surround yourself with millionaires” has graced the pages of many business books. And while it is important to surround yourself with people who inspire you (who may also happen to be wealthy), it is also important to properly distinguish between those who are driven by purpose vs. income. The latter consciously or subconsciously believes that a person’s income determines their societal value, and they are primarily interested in flaunting their wealth in as many ways as possible. Spending time with the wrong type of “millionaire” leads to feeling perpetually inferior and diminishes your confidence as a new business owner.
6. The ticking time bomb.
Emotionally reactive people have difficulty controlling their actions and behavior – so to avoid feeling alienated or inadequate, they try very hard to bring those around them to match their emotional frequency. These people tend to raise their voices to assert dominance, use threats and ultimatums to corner others and at times resort to violence to get what they want. Long-term interactions with emotionally reactive people is not only damaging to your mental health, but it can also eclipse the creativity and positive outlook you need to grow your business.